New England Seabirds

Reports 2007

Also see  Reports from BBC Extreme Pelagics in 2007

December 12,2007 Sunday NH Coast

KING EIDER - 1 female seen from town beach at north end of Plaice Cove
 
HARLEQUIN DUCK - 2, male and female in Rye Harbor
 
Barrow's Goldeneye - 1 male from Great Boar's Head, 1 female from Seal Rocks
 
Common Merganser - 1 near Plaice Cove
 
Eared Grebe - 1 continues from Seal Rocks
 
Great Cormorant - 1 at Exeter WWTP, plus about 50 along the coast
 
Northern Harrier - 2, male and female from Island Path
 
Rough-legged Hawk - 1 dark adult at Pease just before dusk
 
Purple Sandpiper - 60+ at various points along the coast
 
Iceland Gull - 1 1st winter in Rye Harbor, 1 1st winter at Pulpit Rocks
 
Lesser Black-backed Gull - 1 on Jenness Beach
 
NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL - 1 calling at about 3:30 this afternoon in
response to screech owl calls at Odiorne!
 
SHORT-EARED OWL - 2 at Island Path at 2:00 this afternoon, thanks to a
call from Mark
 
Northern Shrike - 1 adult along Rte 101 in Hampton, 1 adult at Island
Path, review of my photographs shows the Rte 101 bird had a damaged
tail, and Steve photographed the Island Path bird, so we should be able
to work out whether these were different birds
 
Red Fox Sparrow - 1 on Pulpit Rock Rd, the same location the Lark
Sparrow was first seen 2 weeks ago
 
LARK SPARROW - 1 continues near Pulpit Rocks, today the bird was seen
along Rte 1A well to the north of the pulloff
 
Snow Bunting - 22 at the King Eider spot, 15 at Pulpit Rocks
 
Pine Grosbeak - 1 male at Odiorne Point, near the picnic area, with ~50
Cedar Waxwings
 
 
I've posted photos of the Great Cormorant in Exeter, one of the Shrikes,
and the Harlequins here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bgriffith/
 
 
Ben Griffith
Merrimack, NH
 

November 27 New Hampshire Coast - Razorbill

A 1/2 hour sea scan from a single spot with a scope from "Seabrook"
Beach in Hampton (South of breakwater) produced the following highlights:
 
All the "typical" winter sea birds in small numbers including 2 species
of loons, 2 species of grebes, 3 species of scoters, red-breasted
mergansers, l-t ducks, and eiders
 
Canada Goose - 87 migrating in two flocks of 40 and 47
Double-crested Cormorant - 1 with 3 Great Cormorants on rocks
Northern Gannet - 5 including 2 juveniles feeding out from inlet and 3
adults moving south far offshore.
Razorbill - 1 on water. Surprisingly, my first of the fall in NH.
Large alcid sp. - 3 flying by offshore heading south. Consistent with
Razorbill.
 
Steve Mirick
Bradford, MA
 

November 26 - New Hampshire Coast Doverkie

Yesterday, Monday, Nov. 26, I birded the NH Seacoast from
south to north from 10:30 am-4:35 pm. The highlight came
at the very end, but there were other good sightings as well.
 
Dovekie--1 at Odiorne Point State Park in Rye seen in the rapidly
fading light from 4:20 to 4:25 pm on a dark, overcast, drizzly
day about 200-300 yards offshore from the gun swivel
mounts behind the restrooms (now closed for the season).
 
Despite the poor viewing conditions, I am 95% confident
this was a Dovekie. Much smaller than some nearby
Surf Scoters. Black above, white below. No obvious bill
or tail, with a squat, neckless body. Swimming on its belly
with its head forward in the classic Dovekie pose in field
guides. Dove a couple of times. Once it swam rapidly and
erratically through the water with its wings flailing like it was
flightless (think Common Eiders when molting)--what I call
rushing. By coincidence, I had a meeting with 3 of NH's
most experienced birders about an hour later, and I ran
the description by them without telling them my conclusion:
although a Murre is a possibility, Dovekie seemed to be
the consensus.
 
Other highlights:
 
Long-tailed Duck--17 off Hampton Beach State Park, 2 more in
Rye Harbor
Red-breasted Merganser--23 off Odiorne Point State Park, 11
off the north side of Great Boars Head in Hampton
Northern Gannet--1 immature plunge diving off Hampton Beach
State Park
Great Cormorant--1 at Seabrook breakwater, 2 at Concord Point,
1 at Odiorne, all adults
Horned Grebe--9 scattered in Rye
Red-necked Grebe--16 in Rye off north end of Jenness Beach,
7 more off Foss Beach in Rye
Eared Grebe--1 at Seal Rocks in Rye
Red-tailed Hawk--1 immature along Island Path in Hampton
near the small park. Extremely frayed tail feathers--the tips
were mostly shafts with very few vanes.
Merlin--1 female on pole at Yankee Fisherman's Coop in Seabrook
Black-bellied Plover--1 with Dunlin at Hampton Beach State Park,
2 more in wrack on Hampton Beach south of Great Boars Head
Dunlin--77 at Landing Road in Hampton, 8 on rocks at Hampton
Beach State Park
Purple Sandpiper--1 at Hampton Beach State Park with Dunlin,
3 more at Concord Point
Horned Lark--24 at Hampton Beach State Park, 4 more at Ragged
Neck in Rye
Northern Shrike--1 adult at the park on Island Path in Hampton
Song Sparrow--7 at Ragged Neck
Snow Bunting--45 at Ragged Neck
 
There were also a number of Common and Red-throated Loons,
Surf and White-winged Scoters, but no Goldeneyes or Buffleheads.
 Terry Bronson
 

November 6, 2007 NH Coast

I tried to follow my own advice today (see Steve Mirick's Rules for storm-birding on the NH coast) and had a relatively successful
day of storm birding on the NH coast. Relatively strong SE winds all
night continued into this morning and I had a nice flight of migrating
water birds mixed in with a small number of pelagics. I got out at
dawn, but it wasn't all that active for about an hour or so.
Unfortunately, I had to leave at 9:30 AM when birds were still moving at
a reasonable rate. I returned later in the afternoon and the scoter
flight was excellent, but nothing else. By the time I left, the winds
had shifted to the SW and the pace had slowed down.
 
Sea watch from Little Boar's Head. 4 hours. 6:30 - 9:30 AM and 12:30
to 1:30 PM.
Overcast with light to moderate rain and fair to good visibility.
Winds SE 30-35 knots in AM shifting to SW 15 knots at noon.
 
All birds were counted flying south:
------------------------------------
American Wigeon - 26 in three flocks.
American Black Duck - 57
Northern Pintail - 2
Green-winged Teal - 2
Greater Scaup - 149. My largest coastal flight of scaup. One flock of
44 birds, but mostly small groups of 2 to 20 birds. There certainly
could have been a Lesser Scaup or two mixed in, but most or all appeared
to be Greaters.
Common Eider - 68. Almost all of the sea ducks in the first 1/2 hour
were eiders, and then 0 for the rest of the day!
Surf Scoter - 728. 561 flew by in 1 hour in the afternoon! One flock
of 150+
White-winged Scoter - 96
Black Scoter - 18
dark-winged scoter sp. - 50
Long-tailed Duck - 302. Nice flight of Long-tailed Ducks. My highest
daily total for NH waters! (my highest daily total for MA is about 1/2
a million!)
Red-breasted Merganser - 116
Red-throated Loon - 6
Common Loon - 9
Horned Grebe - 2
Red-necked Grebe - 4
GREATER SHEARWATER - 4. 2 flying together and 2 single birds. It is
always a banner day when you see any shearwaters from shore in NH.
Unfortunately no fulmars which I have never seen from shore in NH.
Northern Gannet - 200. Steady slow stream of birds all morning. Very
few in afternoon. Mostly adults.
Double-crested Cormorant - 3
Bonaparte's Gull - 8
Black-legged Kittiwake - 6. 4 adults and two juveniles.
COMMON TERN - 1. One very late bird. One day shy of my personal late
date in NH.
DOVEKIE - 1. Surprisingly the only alcid of the day. A small alcid
which I watched off and on for about 20 seconds as it flew in and out of
a wave trough heading south. Clearly not a Razorbill or murre, I got a
couple of looks to see that there didn't seem to be much of a head or
bill for a puffin and the wing beats seemed fast so I'm pretty sure it
was a Dovekie.
 
Steve Mirick
Bradford, MA
 
November 3, 2007 Andrews Point Hurricane Noel

SATURDAY, 3 NOVEMBER 2007:
ANDREW'S POINT, ROCKPORT, MA Seawatch (0650-1630 hrs.)
Weather: Remnants of Hurricane Noel rocketing north off southern New
England: Overcast, rain after about 1015, winds ENE 25-40 mph in the
A.M., NNE 35-55 mph in the P.M., 47 F.
Seas: 6-10 feet in the A.M., building to 12-18 feet.
Visibility: Very good in the A.M., diminishing in rain to 1-3 miles in
the P.M.
Observers: Richard S. Heil, Jeremiah Trimble, Marshall Iliff, Steve
and Jane Mirick, Matt Garvey, et.al.
 
American Black Duck (2)
Green-winged Teal (1)
scaup sp. (1)
King Eider (1-male): Flew past w/ Common Eiders.
Common Eider (335)
Harlequin Duck (22+)
Surf Scoter (540)
White-winged Scoter (51)
Black Scoter (67)
Oldsquaw (142)
Red-breasted Merganser (138)
Red-throated Loon (87): Majority 1W.
Common Loon (48)
Red-necked Grebe (10)
Northern Fulmar (375): New all time high: cf., previous high of 273
on 22 March 2001. Roughly 10% dark morph today was above average.
Greater Shearwater (210)
Sooty Shearwater (1): Late; 4th Nov. record.
Manx Shearwater (2): Late; 4th Nov. record.
Northern Gannet (7800): Estimated 80% adults. Second highest all time
count; cf., 8600 on 3 Nov 1999.
Double-crested Cormorant (60)
Great Cormorant (2-1W)
Laughing Gull (6 ads.)
Bonaparte's Gull (95)
Ring-billed Gull (20)
Herring Gull (400)
Great Black-backed Gull (90)
Black-legged Kittiwake (75): 63 ads., 12-1W.
Pomarine Jaeger (9): Two were aged adults.
jaeger sp. (3)-distant.
Dovekie (18)
Common Murre (2): Basic/winter plu.
Thick-billed Murre (10): Slightly early, more typically arrive 3rd
week Nov.; Still mostly or entirely hooded.
Razorbill (59)
Black Guillemot (7)
Atlantic Puffin (8)
 
Richard S. Heil
S. Peabody, MA
rsheil AT comcast.net
 
October 28 NH Coast
N. Gannetts continue to put on quite a show along the Hampton/Seabrook/Salisbury coasts this morning with birds everywhere. You can just stand on the beach and watch without bins as thay dive!
Flocks of commorants continue with a count of 475 in the last 1/2 hour alone in 2 huge groups. Scoter and loon, both common and rd throated are moving as well.
JoAnn O'Shaughnessy
 

October 27 NH Coast
I spent a while hoping something would get blown in this morning. The
gannet show was spectacular, but the fog limited most of the non-Gannet
sightings to between 11:00 and 12:00.
 
Highlights:
 
White-winged Scoter - 150
Surf Scoter - 270
Black Scoter - 130 in one flock! The most I've seen all fall.
Common Loon - 0 migrating, but several seen in the harbor/along Foss Beach
Red-throated Loon - 14, all but 2 migrating, mostly juvs
Northern Gannet - 68, seemed like more, but I don't think they were
really moving, several diving VERY close to shore
Bonaparte's Gull - only 3 moving south, plus a few more in a large flock
of Ring-bills on Foss Beach
Sanderling 43 in one flock on the rocks at Rye Harbor State Park
White-crowned Sparrow - 1 1w
 
Earlier in the morning I stopped at the Landing Rd pools to check
through a flock of 100+ Dunlin and had:
Greater Yellowlegs - 6
Semipalmated Sandpiper - 3
White-rumped Sandpiper -2
 
Ben Griffith
Merrimack, NH
 

October 20, 2007

NH Coast and Great Bay (Little Gulls, Parasitic Jaeger)‏

fter last night's heavy rains and strong southeasterly winds, Jane and
I were hoping for some wind blown birds and we weren't disappointed. We
got to the coast a bit after 7 AM and the Gannets were streaming by like
crazy heading south. We were counting by 20's until it slowed down
after about a 1/2 hour and by 8:00 there was nothing moving, but still
about 150 Gannets all over! At that point, we stopped our sea watch and
worked our way up the coast hitting a few spots including a relatively
short walk around the southern end of Odiorne. Then a nice brunch at
the "Golden Egg". After brunch we headed to Great Bay when we heard
Ben's report of large numbers of Bonaparte's Gulls. After chasing them
around the bay we finally walked a corn field and watched a bit of the
Great Bog Blackbird roost.
 
7:15 AM to 5:45 PM with an hour for brunch.
Cloudy in the AM and clearing late.
50F - 72F
SW winds - 10-15 mph
 
NH Coast including Urban Forestry Center in Portsmouth
-----------------------------------------------------------
Green-winged Teal - 4 on Lamprey Pond in Hampton.
Ring-necked Duck - 7 on Eel Pond.
Surf Scoter - 31 migrating.
White-winged Scoter - 30 migrating
Black Scoter - 12 migrating.
Long-tailed Duck - 3
Red-breasted Merganser - 2 with 3 Horned Grebe in cove south of Odiorne.
Red-throated Loon - 17 migrating.
Common Loon - 26 migrating.
Horned Grebe - 3 in cove south of Odiorne. Odd location, but I guess
they like it here!
Northern Gannet - 640. All early in AM. Very few after 10 AM. Some
feeding close off Hampton Harbor inlet and heard vocalizing as they
sqabbled with each other!
Double-crested Cormorant - 997 migrating in 3 flocks. One flock of 600+
flew right over us. Very impressive!
Great Cormorant - 1
Northern Harrier - 2
Merlin - 1
Peregrine Falcon - 1 soaring above us at Odiorne.
Black-bellied Plover - 70
Semipalmated Plover - 12
SOLITARY SANDPIPER - 1 on Lamprey Pond in Hampton. Great views as it
preened. My 2nd latest record.
Greater Yellowlegs - 11
HUDSONIAN GODWIT - 1 adult with bad leg in Hampton Harbor continues.
Sanderling - 110
Semipalmated Sandpiper - 2
Pectoral Sandpiper - 1 roosting in marsh in Hampton with other shorebirds.
Dunlin - 250 roosting in Hampton marsh
SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER - 1 continues roosting in marsh in Hampton.
Late. I believe this is my latest record for this species.
LITTLE GULL - 2 adults. One adult from Seabrook Beach seen flying
south. The other found by Jane in north side of Hampton Harbor. Great
views!
LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL - 1 adult/near adult continues from Wooden
Bridge in Rye. DIFFERENT from Frost Point bird.
PARASITIC JAEGER - 1 ?juvenile? from Seabrook Beach flying south early
with all the Gannets. Relatively close and fairly well seen. Very dark
below. Appeared too slender and small to be a Pomarine.
YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO - 1 at Urban Forestry Center in Portsmouth. My 5th
YB Cuckoo in the last month!
Carolina Wren - 1 in North Hampton.
Ruby-crowned Kinglet - 8. 7 at Odiorne Point State Park.
NASHVILLE WARBLER - 1 continues in vicinity of "Church parking lot" off
Rt. 101 in Hampton. Thanks JoAnn! Getting a bit late, but there are at
least 4 November records for this species in the state.
Common Yellowthroat - 2
 
Great Bay including farm field off Squamscott Road
----------------------------------------------------
Canada Goose - Didn't count, but not that many. Perhaps a couple hundred.
Wood Duck - 17 flying in to roost from off Squamscott Road in Stratham.
GADWALL - 3. Females together from Sunset Farm in Greenland. Always a
"good" bird in NH.
American Black Duck - 575+ 375 from Sunset Farm. 200 from Bay Road in
Newmarket.
American Wigeon - 0! Usually I would expect at least a few dozen if not
more at this date.
Northern Pintail - 4 females from Sandy Point
Greater Scaup - 125. All in one flock off west side of bay. No
Redheads noted.
Lesser Scaup - 5+. Mixed in with Greater Scaup flock. Hard to tell due
to diving and distance, but I think at least 5.
Surf Scoter - 5 in middle of bay
White-winged Scoter - 1 in middle of bay
Red-throated Loon - 2. Uncommon on Great Bay, but this is a good time
for them out here.
Common Loon - 2
Greater Yellowlegs - 15
Bonaparte's Gull - 100++. Huge flock of gulls out in bay, but we never
got close to them and I never really estimated the number. Certainly
Ring-bills mixed in, but a large feeding mass had at least 50-75%
Bonaparte's. More stretched across the center of the bay and not easy
to see. Could easily have been the 200+ as Ben stated.
Red-bellied Woodpecker - 4 from various spots around the bay
Red-winged Blackbird/Common Grackles - Several thousand, but not like
the "river" of a few years ago.
Rusty Blackbird - 6. Nice views off Squamscott Road.
 
Steve & Jane Mirick
Bradford, MA

October 7 Seawatch  Cape Ann and NH Coast
I spent 2+ hours at Halibut Pt. this morning. Wind seemed NNE and was
fairly strong. The first hour was misty, preventing me from using my scope.
Then the rain stopped and it cleared a bit, but the scope didn't locate any
tubenoses or jaegers for me, and almost no kittiwakes. The only pelagic
bird passing in any numbers was the gannet. It was mainly a waterfowl show.
The scoters sometimes flew by in flocks of 300 or so, making it tough to
work out the ratios, and the numbers listed are rough counts with many left
as scoter (sp.).
 
Jim Berry
Ipswich, Mass.
jim.berry3@verizon.net
 

7:00 AM to 12:00 PM
 
NNE winds gusting to almost 30 knots at dawn, but dying down to 10 knots
or so by 10:00 AM. Overcast with drizzle early. Visibility fair to
excellent.
A "backdoor" cold front from the north came south overnight and cleared
the area by about 1:00 PM but the morning brought a memorable flight of
waterfowl (16 species!) south along the NH seacoast. We started from
Little Boar's Head in North Hampton in the morning mist, but soon moved
to Ragged Neck in Rye when the mist stopped and the winds slackened. As
the approaching clear skies came from the north, the flight died down
and we headed out for well deserved brunch. Birds were coming from all
directions and MANY thanks to Jane for finding many of the birds
including the Barnacle Goose and for keeping score during the madness!
 
Of interest is the contrast and similarities of the birds seen along the
NH coast with the composition of the birds that Rick and Jeremiah had at
Andrew's Point. They get more pelagics and seaducks. We get more
geese, dabbling ducks and cormorants. I was surprised to see that we
got more Common Loons as well.
 
Snow Goose - 1 adult all by itself!
BARNACLE GOOSE - 1. Incredible!!!! Jane first picked up on a small
group of about 12 Canada Geese to our south and shouted "White-fronted
Goose.......Or something!" After considerable anxiety, I "finally" got
on the group and very quickly realized it was a Barnacle Goose!
Although fairly distant, it was very fortunate that the birds were
heading to the west as if coming off the water so I was able to watch it
well for over a minute. The gray top of the wings, sharply darmarked
black breast with white belly and white face were clearly seen as well
as the clear size comparison with the Canada Geese. Details of the
facial markings were less obvious but discernible. The birds continued
to head westward, not following the coast and disappeared toward the
southwest from where we stood.
Canada Goose - 376. Many (about 25) very small groups of Canada Geese
with the largest group being about 50. Many appeared to be coming from
the east off the ocean rather than down the coast.
Wood Duck - 1
American Wigeon - 18
American Black Duck - 151. Nice small flocks of dabbling ducks all
day. Some also mixed in with geese flocks and with scoter flocks.
Mallard - 15
Northern Pintail - 23
Green-winged Teal - 40
Greater Scaup - 1 with scoter flock.
Common Eider - 8
Surf Scoter - 633. Most of the "identifiable" flocks of dark-winged
scoters were Surfs.
White-winged Scoter - 500
Black Scoter - 12
Scoter sp. - 3,123. Most flocks were wayyy offshore and many early in
the morning couldn't even be identified as "dark-winged" scoter!
Long-tailed Duck - 5. All 5 moving with one flock of scoters. Early date.
Red-breasted Merganser - 45
Common Loon - 322. Wonderful flight with birds moving steadily the
whole time. Many directly overhead, some far off-shore. Almost every
Loon I could safely ID was a Common Loon, although I saw a couple of
smaller loons, which were likely Red-throated.
Northern Gannet - 113. Moving early, but died down quickly. Then birds
meandering and feeding offshore.
Double-crested Cormorant - 7,117. Steady intermittent flow of huge
flocks. Wonderful flight. Perhaps highest total recorded in state?
Great Cormorant - 1. Obviously probably more, but one clearly picked
out in a small close flock of Double-crested Cormorants.
Great Blue Heron - 32. Flocks of 7,1,7,4,6,3,2,2. Many high overhead.
A few well off-shore. Cool!
Osprey - 6
Northern Harrier - 1
Merlin - 4
Peregrine Falcon - 15!! Wonderful flight including 3 birds very early
in mist flying off the ocean!
Laughing Gull - 6. Surprisingly low given the flight.
Herring Gulls/large gulls - Lots moving! We didn't count, but there was
clearly an excellent flight of Herring Gulls and possibly Ring-billed Gulls.
 
Steve & Jane Mirick
Bradford, MA
 

New Hampshire coast

An hour sea watch this morning confirmed migration is underway. Visibility was exceptional.
25-30 shearwater feeding off shore
more n. gannetts than I wanted to count just passing by everywhere (mostly young birds)
27 great blue heron (groups of 3 - 9)
4 peregrine falcons
1 n. harrier (imm)
3 large terns (?sp) possible caspian
3500 commorants (large flocks over the horizon)
120 + c. geese
55 c. loons (groups of 3 - 6)
1 red throated loon
7 longtailed ducks
180 surf and 36 ww scoters
and many passing?ducks too far out to id but moving south (Steve where are you?)
Also a probable p. jaeger chasing a group of bonies near the Hampton Jetty.
And finally, a parade of Monarchs over the water.......
JoAnn O'Shaughnessy
 

October 6,2007

Odiorne State Park Walk with Seacoast Audubon and Steve Mirick
Northern Gannets seen from shore. White-winted and Surf Scoters along with Common Eiders.  Lesser Black-backed Gull in usual place. Little Gull further south along coast.

Granite State Whale Watch to Jeffrey's Ledge

I went out with Granite State Whale Watch for what will likely be the
final trip of the season (there will be another trip tomorrow, weather
permitting).
American Black Duck 4 well east of the Isles of Shoals (on the water!!)
White-winged Scoter 100+ migrating in medium sized flocks mostly around
the isles
Common Loon 20 Mostly in the vicinity of the Isles
Northern Fulmar 6 5 light, 1 dark
Greater Shearwater 60+ 30+ in one very distant flock on the water, 4
mixed in with a flock of Eider east of the isles of shoals
Northern Gannet 30 primarily around the Isles, a few would have been
easily viewable from Ragged Neck
Great Cormorant 20 mostly near the Isles, it's interesting to note that
nearly all birds onshore were Double-crested
Black-legged Kittiwake 1 1w about 3/4 of the way to the Isles
Red-breasted Nuthatch 2 one caught midair and eaten by a Great
Black-backed Gull!
Palm Warbler 1 "western" on Jeffry's Ledge
 
Humpback Whale 2
Fin Whale 7
Harbor Porpoise 1
Atlantic White-sided Dolphin 70+, 3 pods
Ocean Sunfish 2
 
 
Ben Griffith
Merrimack, NH
 

 1 Oct 2007 11:56pm

Herman D'Entremont and I took a Dolphin Fleet Whale Watch out of   Provincetown and saw:

   On Stellwagen Bank

       41 Greater Shearwaters
         2 Sooty Shearwaters
         1 Northern Fulmar

   Off Race Point, while returning to port

      700 Common Terns
         5 Parasitic Jaegers (including three in the same binocular view)

     Oakes Spalding
     Cambridge
     ospalding(AT)comcast.net


 

September 24,2007 - Whale watch out of Rye, NH

Whalewatch out of Rye on the Granite State.
No Sabine's Gull but great views of the Blue Whale which is very rare in our
waters.
 
Birds of note:
Greater Shearwater 36
Manx Shearwater 2
Phalarope 2
N. Gannet 12
White-winged Scoter 6 migrating
 
Great views of 2 humpbacks and 2 finbacks. Brief glimpse of a blue shark.
35 monarchs migrating and 2 painted lady's (butterflys).
 
Wonderful day to be on the water.
Becky Suomala & Julie Klett
 

September 22, New Hampshire, Maine

I went out on a whale watch with Granite State Whale Watch this
morning/afternoon. The undisputed highlights of the trip were an adult
SABINE'S GULL and a juvenile LONG-TAILED JAEGER, both seen between 2:30
and 3:00 pm. Unfortunately, the Long-tailed Jaeger fell in Maine waters
(just barely), but the Sabine's Gull was (also just barely) in New
Hampshire waters. The Sabine's Gull was being chased by a juvenile
Herring Gull, but went in the opposite direction of the boat. It
appeared to be mostly, if not entirely, still in alternate plumage. The
Long-tailed Jaeger was seen at a distance at first, but rapidly
approached the boat and followed it for a short distance, allowing for
assessment of critical features including shape of central retrices, and
bill coloration.
 
Highlights:
 
Greater Shearwater 8
Manx Shearwater 1
Jaeger sp. (prob Parasitic) 1
LONG-TAILED JAEGER 1
SABINE'S GULL 1
Common Tern 6
Atlantic Puffin 1 adult in Maine waters
 
We had 4 Fin Whales and 1 Minke Whale.
 
 
Ben Griffith
Merrimack, NH
 

September 19, 2007  New Hampshire, Maine

Denny Abbott of Stratham invited me along today on a whale
watch trip. We took the Granite State Whale Watch out of
Rye Harbor, NH out past the Isles of Shoals, then northward
into Maine waters.
 
The highlight of the trip was a Blue Whale in Maine waters--
Denny has not seen one here in 35 years, and the naturalist
on board had not seen one in 9 years until the same whale
was spotted a few days ago. This is truly a stupendous
creature--it seemed to go on forever as it surfaced and
slid forward. Blue whales normally get to 90 feet long and
the record is 110 feet. We had several good looks at it as
it surfaced. Awesome!
 
As for birds, there weren't many. All birds listed below were
in Maine waters (presumed) unless indicated otherwise. All
were seen at a distance, except for a couple of the Gannets
and Loons, some Eiders, and some gulls.
 
Northern Gannet--5 (2 in NH) with 3 1st & 2nd year, and 2
that were mostly but not completely into adult plumage
 
Greater Shearwater--3 (1 in NH)
 
Manx Shearwater--3
 
Wilson's Storm-Petrel--3
 
Red-necked Phalarope--8
 
Common Loon--4 (2 in NH)
 
Laughing Gull--1 in NH
 
Sterna Tern--1 in NH
 
Great Cormorant--1
 
Double-crested Cormorant--40, plus many on Duck
Island that were too far off to count
 
Common Eider--35, some still flightless
 
Great Black-backed Gull--500 (400 in NH)--one of the
largest concentrations I've ever seen
 
Herring Gull--a few in NH
Ring-billed Gull--a few in NH
 
Swallow species--1
 
In Rye Harbor:
 
Common Eider--20
Double-crested Cormorant--60
Great Black-backed, Herring, & Ring-billed Gulls--60
American Crow--17 flyovers
Mourning Dove--2
Rock Pigeon--20
 
Other non-bird sightings besides the Blue Whale:
 
Fin Whale--5
Minke Whale--1
Blue Shark--1
Shark species--2
Harbor Seal--4
Harbor Porpoise--2
Bluefin Tuna--several small schools
Butterflies--5
 
 
--
Terry Bronson
Fremont, NH
tbbirds@comcast.net
 

September 9, 2007 Out of Plymouth, MA

Seabird & Whale Tales
Sunday, September 9th from 8 am to 6 pm.
Combined report from Wayne Petersen and Krill Carson
 
The annual New England Basking Shark Project (NEBShark) September
pelagic trip onboard the Tales of the Sea out of Plymouth on Sunday
enjoyed mixed success as a result of difficult sea and wind
conditions along with a continuing dearth of seabirds on Stellwagen
Bank. The original plan was to survey the backside of Cape Cod,
south to Chatham, but a stiff N/NE wind and building seas ultimately
limited our survey efforts to Stellwagen Bank. Sightings began on
the SW corner of the bank and continued as we worked our way north to
the NW corner. Over the course of the day, we covered much of the
bank and the waters included in the Stellwagen Bank National Marine
Sanctuary.
 
Despite the very low numbers of birds, diversity was good and several
interesting sightings left everyone satisfied. Similarly, the windy
conditions resulted in lots of interesting surface behavior (spinning
head breaching, lobtailing, flipper slapping, etc.) from a number of
different Humpback Whales.
 
Seabird & Whale Tales Species List for September 9, 2007
 
Shorebirds and Seabirds:
Brant  1 (Plymouth Beach)
Scoter sp.  12
Common Loon  1
Greater Shearwater  2
Sooty Shearwater  1
Manx Shearwater  1
Wilsons Storm-Petrel - 12
Northern Gannet  12
Double-crested Cormorant  2 (offshore)
Osprey  1 (Plymouth)
Black-bellied Plover  several (Plymouth)
Semipalmated Plover  several (Plymouth)
Piping Plover  1 (Plymouth Beach)
Red-necked Phalarope  30
Long-tailed Jaeger  2-3 juveniles (photographed)
Laughing Gull  many on Plymouth Beach
Ring-billed Gull  many (Plymouth)
Herring Gull  only small numbers offshore
Great Black-backed Gull  only small numbers offshore
Sabines Gull  2 adults
Roseate Tern/Common Tern  the number of terns resting on
Plymouth Beach and feeding in the surrounding waters could
easily have exceeded 15,000. A truly extraordinary concentration.
Swallow sp.  1 offshore
Red-breasted Nuthatch  2 offshore
Yellow-rumped Warbler  1 offshore
 
Whales:
Minke Whale  2+
Humpback Whale  18 (includes Pepper and calf, Nile and calf, Rune
and calf, Liner, Alpha, Pele, Milkweed, Tear, Cajun and Apex)
 

September 9, 2007 -Newburyport All Day

Bill Gette and I led a pelagic trip today for the Joppa Flats Education 
Center of Massachusetts Audubon. We traveled on the "Price of Whales" 
with the Newburyport Whale Watch out of Newburyport, MA. A stalled cold 
front provided high seas and winds which were too great for us to 
navigate today and slowed our progress considerably. Our original and 
revised routes were both scrapped and we had to settle for a shortened 
day and only covered a portion of Jeffrey's Ledge. Added to this was an 
obvious dearth of birds. Even with as much advance (and same day) 
scouting as Captain Billy could find, it is clear that the birds have 
not been in abundance on Jeffrey's Ledge and Stellwagon Bank recently. 
The following chart shows the approximate course we took:
 
http://home.comcast.net/~smirick/boattrip.jpg
 
8:00AM to 3:00PM
Mostly cloudy with excellent visibility (and no rain)
Winds NE - 15 to 25 knots
Seas - 4' to 7'
 
Offshore
---------
Common Loon - 1
Greater Shearwater - 7
Sooty Shearwater - 2
Wilson's Storm-Petrel - 2
Northern Gannet - 8
Double-crested Cormorant - 75 in one flock out by Jeffrey's Ledge moving 
south. A couple more flocks migrating close to shore.
Red-necked Phalarope - 2 single bird sightings.
Parasitic Jaeger - 4. Together in one group. Chasing a passerine high 
into sky.
Herring/Great Black-backed Gull - Yes. Offshore only in small numbers
House Wren - 1. Strange to see a house wren flying along with the boat 
only a few feet over the water!
Purple Finch - 2. One juvenile landed on boat and landed on a couple of 
passengers! Clearly a few land birds moving with this front.
Passerine sp. - 2
 
Sei Whale - 1 (unfortunately not good looks)
Fin Whale - 1
Whale sp. - 2
Basking Shark - 1
Harbor Porpoise - 3
Harbor Seal - several in harbor
Monarch - 2 offshore (many more as we approached land)
 
Newburyport Harbor area from boat
--------------------------------------
Most of the usual suspects plus:
Common Eider - 15 near mouth of harbor
Peregrine Falcon - 1
Great Cormorant - 1 imm. on breakwater
Ruddy Turnstone - 1 juvenile on breakwater
Osprey - Still 3 perched on nests on 3 nest poles on Salisbury side.
Common Tern and Bonaparte's Gulls - Lots and lots
Forster's Tern - 2
 
Steve Mirick
Bradford, MA
 

August 27,2007 - Newburyport Bird and Whale trip

The Prince of Whales sailed this morning from Newburyport with clear skies,
light winds, and minor swells. This was the last of this year's Monday Bird and
Whale programs jointly sponsored by Newburyport Whale Watch and Joppa Flats
Education Center (Mass Audubon).

In the harbor (high tide) we had hundreds of Bonaparte's Gulls along with Common
 Terns, Ruddy Turnstones, and a few other shorebirds. A very quick highlight was
 a Mola mola (Ocean Sunfish) between the two jetties! Captain Bill actually
executed a 360 turn, avoiding contact with this odd fish. Once offshore we
headed to Jeffries Ledge. In general the birding was a bit slow, but the marine
mammal situation was quite nice. Birds seen east of the jetties included:

 75 Wilson's Storm-petrels
  2 Greater Shearwaters
  1 Manx Shearwater
  2 Northern Gannets
 12 Double-crested Cormorants
  1 Black Tern (+ 3 possibles)
  8 Red-necked Phalaropes (+ 3 phalarope sp.)
lots of Common Terns and large gulls

Non-birds:
  1 Mola mola
    Small group of "footballs" - under 100 pound Bluefin Tuna chasing bait fish
at and above the surface
  2 Humpback Whales (mother-calf pair)
  2 Fin Whales
  1 Minke Whale
  7 Sei Whales (life mammal for many on board!)
  6 Harbor Seals (only 1 offshore)
  2 Monarch butterfly

We will also be running a full day dedicated offshore birding trip on Sunday,
September 9. To register for this program, please call the Newburyport Whale
Watch at 1-800-848-1111. You can download a brochure for these trips at
http://www.massaudubon.org/Nature_Connection/Sanctuaries/Joppa_Flats/news.php?id=773&event=no or http://www.newburyportwhalewatch.com/.
 

--
David M. Larson, Ph.D.
Education Coordinator
Joppa Flats Education Center
Mass Audubon
Newburyport, MA
978-462-9998
 

August 20 Stellwagon Bank

I saw the following birds on a whale-watching trip out of
Provincetown to the southern edge of Stellwagen Bank today (20 August):

Common Eider: 21 females migrating south out at sea
Greater Shearwater: 300+
Sooty Shearwater: 40+
Manx Shearwater: 20+
Wilson's Storm-Petrel: 80+
Northern Gannet: 2
Great Cormorant: 2, P'town breakwater
Laughing Gull: 60
Bonaparte's Gull: 1
Ring-billed Gull: 10
Herring Gull: 250+
Lesser Black-backed Gull: 3+ adults with GBBGs near Wood End
Great Black-backed Gull: 400+
Sabine's Gull: 1 adult with partial hood
Least Tern: 8+
Black Tern: 1
Roseate Tern: 180+
Common Tern: 500+

The terns were mostly feeding in tide-rips off Wood End, Long Point
and Race Point: they had almost gone when we returned at slack
water.  About 100 Common Terns were scattered offshore among the
whales.  The shearwaters, Sabine's Gull, Laughing Gulls and some of
the large gulls were mostly around hump-backed whales, although the
whales were not feeding.  Peter Trull says the Sabine's Gull has been
around for about a week.  This was my best day's birding ever out of
Provincetown.

Mammals: 13 Hump-backed Whales, 2 Fin Whales, 2 Minke Whales.

Ian Nisbet
North Falmouth
 

The Prince of Whales sailed this morning from Newburyport under cloudy skies
 but the rain held off until we returned in the afternoon. This was the fourth of our Bird and Whale 
programs jointly sponsored by Newburyport Whale Watch and Joppa Flats Education Center (Mass Audubon). 
 
In the harbor we had hundreds of Bonaparte's Gulls along with many Common Terns, one Roseate Tern,
 and small flocks of shorebirds. There were many Ruddy Turnstones and at least one Spotted Sandpiper 
on the Salisbury jetty. We also had an early Harbor Seal. Upon leaving the harbor, we went to Jeffries Ledge, 
and the marine mammal show was fantastic. A highlight for several people was sighting of Mola mola 
(Ocean Sunfish - we had two of these odd fish). Oh, and we had some birds too. Birds seen east of the jetties included:
 
  3 Common Eider
442 Wilson's Storm-petrel
 27 Greater Shearwater (plus possibly 1 Manx and 1 Sooty)
  2 Northern Gannet
  2 Great Blue Herons (apparently heading for the Isles of Shoals)
 35 Tree Swallow
  1 Yellow Warbler (apparently heading the wrong way)
lots of Common Terns and large gulls
 
Non-birds:
  2 Mola mola
  4 Humpback Whales (Newton, Regulus, Tornado, Scylla; including one full breach!)
  1 Fin Whale
  6 Minke Whales
150 Atlantic White-sided Dolphins
  1 Monarch butterfly
 
 
Our last Bird and Whale trip will be on Monday, August 27. 
We will also be running a full day dedicated offshore birding trip on Sunday, September 9. To register for these programs, please call the Newburyport Whale Watch at 1-800-848-1111. You can download a brochure for these trips at http://www.massaudubon.org/Nature_Connection/Sanctuaries/Joppa_Flats/news.php?id=773&event=no or http://www.newburyportwhalewatch.com/. 
 
 
--
David M. Larson, Ph.D.
Education Coordinator
Joppa Flats Education Center
Mass Audubon
Newburyport, MA
978-462-9998 

August  13-16 CORE

Center for Oceanic Research and Education 3-Day Canyons Whale and Bird Expedition Trip Report:

CORE would  like to extend our sincere thanks and admiration to the whole team of birders on Brian Patteson’s team. It was a pleasure to work with such professionals on this three day excursion!

 Two day Great South Channel Trip Report

This trip took us to an area just east of Cape Cod - approximately northeast and southeast of Chatham, MA. The morning of the 18th, we started a few miles south of the BC buoy (shipping lane buoy), somewhere around 12 miles south of our final target area, and sighted a few juvenile humpback whales in the area. Heading north, we were on the lookout for the Bluefin Tuna fleet - which almost always follows the humpback whales since the tuna eat the same fish (sand eels) as the humpbacks. Just a few miles off Chatham, we sure found the tuna fleet and a whole lot of whales! On that first day alone we estimated somewhere around 100-110 humpback whales. The next day, we estimated 71-74 humpbacks in the area! Unbelieveable to see so many whales in such a compact area - all feeding - mouths wide open. And, when they weren't feeding, they were breaching!. Some of the most incredible, intense behaviors I've ever seen. Other animals sighted on the trip included 17 fin whales, 29 minke whales, 2 pilot whales and basking sharks!

*Humpback whales identified included: Dome, Fulcrum, Reflection, Staff, Putter, Tear, Anchor, Crown, Rune, Shards, Spike, Giraffe, Mars, Warrior, Colt, Nimbus, Rapier, Scratch, Abrasion, Pogo, Mirror, Sundog, Division, Apostrophe, Gondolier, Rocker, Coral, Mirror, Spider, Ase, Firefly, Seal, Mauro, Echo, Cygnus, Fracture, Barb, Leukos & calf, Midnight & calf, Reaper & calf, Compass & calf, Chimney & calf, Dyad & calf, Pepper & calf, Tornado & calf and Phantom & calf! Yikes, that's alot of whales! *Many thanks to Allison Glass from Whale Center of New England and Katherine Gilmour from the New England Aquarium for their help with several identifications throughout this trip.

August 11  Stellwagen Bank - 8/11

Yesterday (8/11) my parents (Deb and Dan Sr), Emily Wolfe, and I set out aboard
the Dolphin VIII. We only made it about 2 miles from shore before we were
surrounded by feeding whales and a few decent sized flocks of birds.

The highlight was definately a non-breeding adult Sabine's Gull that was mixed
in with the gulls, terns, and shearwaters. I was able to get a few pics of it:
on the water
http://upload.pbase.com/image/83747722
in flight
http://upload.pbase.com/dberard/image/83747869

Here is the highlight list from Stellwagen (numbers are estimations based on #
seen at once):

Greater Shearwater - 50+
Sooty Shearwater - 15+
Manx Shearwater - 8+
Wilson's Storm-Petrel - 4 (the high count from one spot)
Lesser Black-backed Gull - 1 (1s) (not on the bank but in the parkinglot of
McMillan Wharf)
Sabine's Gull - 1ad
Northern Gannet - 6

Also seen:

Minke Whale - 25+
Finback Whale - 25+
Humpback Whale - 12+
Blue Fish (Pomatomus saltatrix) - 300+ (all over the place)
Common Mola (Mola mola) - 1
<ddbgannet(AT)charter.net>

 

7/30/2007 Newburyport
The Prince of Whales sailed this morning from Newburyport in the clouds and fog, and the fog continued at sea. Visibility ranged from a couple of hundred yards to 2 miles. When we got to see whales and birds, they were close whales and birds. Very nice. This was the third of our Bird and Whale programs jointly sponsored by Newburyport Whale Watch and Joppa Flats Education Center (Mass Audubon).
 
In the harbor we had 60 or so Bonaparte's Gulls along with many Common Terns and small flocks of shorebirds. On our way to Jeffries Ledge, we had three very cooperative Minke Whales and a similarly cooperative Finback. In the bird department, we had a steady trickle of Wilson's Storm-petrels, three species of shearwaters, several small flocks of shorebirds, and some confused passerines. Final counts for birds offshore were:
 
  2 Common Eider
165 Wilson's Storm-petrel
 55 Greater Shearwater
  6 Sooty Shearwater
  5 Manx Shearwater
  6 Northern Gannet
  1 Laughing Gull
 30 shorebird sp.
  3 Black-bellied Plover
 28 Semi-palmated Plover
  1 Tree Swallow
  6 warbler sp.
  1 Brown-headed Cowbird(!)
lots of Common Terns and large gulls
 
Our upcoming Bird and Whale trips (Mondays) will be on August 13 and August 27. We will also be running a full day dedicated offshore birding trip on Sunday, September 9. To register for these programs, please call the Newburyport Whale Watch at 1-800-848-1111. You can download a brochure for these trips at http://www.massaudubon.org/Nature_Connection/Sanctuaries/Joppa_Flats/news.php?id=773&event=no or http://www.newburyportwhalewatch.com/.
 

David M. Larson, Ph.D.
Education Coordinator
Joppa Flats Education Center
Mass Audubon
Newburyport, MA
978-462-9998

7/22/2007 - Gloucester Whale Watch

It was a fantastic day to be on the water off Gloucester. We went only
12 miles out, to the northwest edge of Stellwagen, because there was a
lot of whale activity there. I was sunny and clear with modest NE winds.

The whales put on a great show with a lot of tail breeching or tail
lobbing, rolls, and flipper slapping.

Hump-backed Whales     23
Fin Whales            2

The bad news was that, with the exception of one rambunctious calf that
was nursing, none of the whales was feeding. This meant bird activity
was relatively low. Altogether, we had roughly

Greater Shearwater    20-30
Sooty Shearwater    30-40
Manx Shearwater    1
Wilson's Storm Petrel c. 200

Ironically, about half of all the birds were within 2-3 miles of
Gloucester, including the Manx Shearwater.

Paul M. Roberts
Medford, MA
phawk(AT)world.std.com
 

7/22/2007  NH coast WSP
 
WILSON'S STORM-PETRELs seen from shore (8:30 - 10:00 AM) :
60 @ Odiorne Point State Park   
5 @ Pulpit Rocks
2 @ Rye Harbor State Park
1 @ Bicentennial Park (also 35 Bonaparte's gulls)
 
Lance Tanino, Keene
Taj Schottland, Brattleboro, VT
Cliff Seifer, Keene

7/14/2007 Whale Watch out of Newburyport

Yesterday the Monadnock Chapter of NH Audubon took a whalewatch out of Newburyport to Jeffreys Ledge.  Not sure which waters we were in, but a good time had by all.  According to the naturalists on board, fulmar are being seen nearly every day at the moment, and manx shearwaters were seen Friday. eric masterson eric.masterson@verizon.net
 
Greater Shearwater 27
Sooty Shearwater 12
Northern Fulmar 2
Wilsons Storm Petrel approx 300
 
Mammals
Atlantic White-sided Dolphin 12
Minke Whale 3
Finback Whale 3
 

7/12/2007 New Hampshire Audubon's Rare Bird Alert

Over 25 WILSON'S STORM-PETRELS were seen foraging along the coast in Rye on
July 9th. Over 170 BONAPARTE'S GULLS were reported from the coast on July 7th.
 

7/12/2007 Whale-and-bird watching, Rye Granite State Whale Watch

I went on the _Granite State's_ morning whale watch out of Rye Harbor 
today.

Whales were few -- four or five Minke whales and three Finbacks -- 
but two of the Finbacks were a mother and calf pair, which was 
something I hadn't seen before, and they were kind enough to let us 
follow them for a while.
 
Birds were somewhat more plentiful.  Lots of gulls, of course -- 
mostly Herring and GBB, but there was also a single juvenile 
Bonaparte's just inside the Rye Harbor jetty, and a probable Laughing 
Gull a couple of hundred yards outside the harbor mouth.  Huge 
numbers of Wilson's Storm-Petrels, all over the water starting right 
outside the harbor.  There may have been some other storm-petrel 
species mixed in, but none jumped out as anything but a Wilson's.  It 
took a while to find any Greater Shearwaters, but eventually we did, 
a total of a couple of dozen of them.   There was one Sooty 
Shearwater in there too, and one possible Manx Shearwater.  No 
gannets, which was a bit of a surprise, but instead we got at least 
two Northern Fulmars.  One was a light-phase adult.  The other was 
clearly a fulmar but the coloring reminded me strongly of the 
subadult plumage of a four-year gull, with noticeable brown on body 
and wings.  I take this to mean it was either a subadult or an 
intermediate-color-phase adult.
 
Jon Woolf jsw(at)jwoolfden.com

Jon's photo of Wilson's Storm-petrel

July 10 Maine Audubon Boat Trip to Matinicus Rock from Hog Island

Thirty-five adventuresome birders boarded the Puffin V, Hog Island's
"new" boat yesterday morning at 0830.  Anthony Liss, the great captain
of the very seaworthy craft, guided us through the many islands of
Muscongus Bay in a moderate fog.  Black Guillemots, Bald Eagle, Osprey,
Common Tern, White-winged Scoter and Common Eider were easily seen as we
made our way through the most lobster buoys I have ever seen. =20

As we cleared Mosquito Island and motored out into calm open water, with
the fog clearing, the first of many Wilson's Storm-Petrels were spotted.
At first it was a few here and there but we quickly got into the most
storm-petrels I have ever seen.  All the way from Muscongus Bay to
Matinicus Rock and from Matinicus Rock to Eastern Egg Rock, they were
constantly present.  We saw them dancing on the surface, cruising just
in front of the bow, sitting on the water in rafts of 25 to 150, you
name it.  The gross estimate we came up with was 5,000 but that could be
well short.  Two Great Cormorants were spotted in route to the rock.

Matinicus Rock did not disappoint!  Things were a little tense at first
since our target bird took several minutes to make an appearance.
Eventually everyone on board was treated to good views of the Red-billed
Tropicbird.  This spectacular seabird flew around quite a bit surrounded
by Alcids, a truly unique sight.  Atlantic Puffins, Razorbills and
Arctic Terns were all around the boat.  Razorbills were particularly
plentiful with large rafts (100+) floating just offshore and huge
gatherings crowding the rocks.  Only a few Common Murres were present
but they were easily seen.

While motoring from Matinicus Rock to Eastern Egg Rock sightings of
Northern Gannets by ones and twos were frequent and we were able to add
3 Manx Shearwaters, 3 Greater Shearwaters, 1 Sooty Shearwater and 1
Northern Fulmar to our trip list.  I believe just about everyone on
board saw these species well.

At Eastern Egg Rock everyone got looks at Roseate Terns on the rocks and
in flight.  A disturbingly close bolt of lightning signaled our turn for
the dock and we cruised back to Hog Island in a light rain.  Several
large flocks of Short-billed Dowitchers in flight were noted on our way
back up Muscongus Bay.

Non-bird highlights included many Harbor Porpoise, two quick views of
Minke Whales and a few lucky observers got onto two Orcas (killer
whales).  Sightings of Orcas in the Gulf of Maine are rare.

Eric Hynes
Staff Naturalist / Gilsland Farm Center Manager
Maine Audubon
20 Gilsland Farm Road
Falmouth, ME 04105
207-781-2330 ext. 237

July 9 Pelagic from Newburyport, Ma
The Prince of Whales sailed this morning from Newburyport under rainy conditions, but once at sea we had very nice conditions indeed. This was the second of our Bird and Whale programs jointly sponsored by Newburyport Whale Watch and Joppa Flats Education Center (Mass Audubon).
 
In the harbor to just beyond the jetties we had the usual Double-crested Cormorants and Common Terns. In the first mile outside we had two Common Eiders and a very cooperate Minke Whale (even rolled and showed us it's pink belly). We headed out toward Jeffries Ledge and got into plenty of Wilson's Storm-petrels along the way. Out near and on the Ledge, we found draggers and other fishing boats with attendant birds including flocks of storm-petrels, several shearwaters, and two Northern Fulmars. Once across the Ledge, we headed south but found little down towards Pigeon Hill except some Manx Shearwaters. Final counts follow:
Birds
  2 Common Eider
530 Wilson's Storm-petrel
  2 Northern Fulmar
  9 Greater Shearwater
  5 Sooty Shearwater
  3 Manx Shearwater
  3 Shearwater sp.
  1 Northern Gannet
lots of Common Terns and large gulls
 
Mammals
  3 Minke Whale
  3 Finback Whale
 
Our upcoming Bird and Whale trips (Mondays) will be on July 30, August 13, and August 27. We will also be running a full day dedicated offshore birding trip on Sunday, September 9. To register for these programs, please call the Newburyport Whale Watch at 1-800-848-1111. You can download a brochure for these trips at http://www.massaudubon.org/Nature_Connection/Sanctuaries/Joppa_Flats/news.php?id=773&event=no or http://www.newburyportwhalewatch.com/.
 
David M. Larson, Ph.D.
Education Coordinator
Joppa Flats Education Center
Mass Audubon
Newburyport, MA
978-462-9998

June 26, 2007 Yellow-nosed Albatross found dead

Becky Harris, Director of Mass Audubon's Coastal Waterbird Program just
called to report that she collected the albatross from a beach in Barnstable
Harbor (see attached). She said it had been there "a while". The transmitter
was still attached. She'll put it on ice and get it to Tufts.B

Simon PerkinsB
Field OrnithologistB
Mass AudubonB
208 South Great RoadB
Lincoln, MA 01773B
Protecting the Nature of MassachusettsB
 

6/25/07

Newburyport Whale Watch and Joppa Flats Education Center inaugurated our first
in the series of Monday Bird and Whale cruises yesterday. Under spectacular
conditions (flat calm, sunny skies) we ventured out over southern Jeffries Ledge
 and northern Stellwagen in search of birds and marine mammals. It was a bit
quiet out there but we had fabulous looks at some birds and some of those
mammals. Our sightings included:
Birds
  580 Wilson's Storm-petrels
   25 Northern Gannets
    2 Sooty Shearwaters
    2 Shearwater sp.
    1 Laughing Gull
    2 Surf Scoters
    8 Common Loons
    1 Roseate Tern (Newburyport Harbor)
    1 Least Tern (Newburyport Harbor)
Mammals
    2 Minke Whales
    2 Humpback Whales (Photon and her calf - great show!)
Fish
    1 Basking Shark
Butterflies
    Several each of Red Admiral, Monarch, and Cabbage White. One Mourning Cloak
reported. Several unidentified.

Our next trip will be on Monday, July 9, 2007 from 10 a.m. to at least 3 p.m.
For a listing of these trips and more information, see the Mass Audubon website
at massaudubon.org/joppaflats. To register for a program, call the Newburyport
Whale Watch at 1-800-848-1111.

--
David M. Larson, Ph.D.
Education Coordinator
Joppa Flats Education Center
Mass Audubon
Newburyport, MA
978-462-9998
 

Saturday, June 16, 2007 Rye Whale Watch
 
Next we went out on a whale watch, hoping for some pelagic species. We left
from Rye Harbor. As we neared Isles of Shoals, we got good looks at an ARCTIC
TERN. We saw what may have been at least one other later. Two birds flew by at
a distance which I thought were shearwaters (after seeing many later on the
trip, I'm sure these were Greaters). As our boat raced out to Jeffrey's Ledge,
we passed specks of WILSON'S STORM-PETRELs, especially where smaller boats
were located. I was afraid these brief looks would be all we'd get of the
birds, but when we reached whales and slowed, excellent looks at all pelagic
species were possible.
GREATER SHEARWATERs began to become more common...then a few NORTHERN GANNETs,
including adults.
The biggest surprise, and unfortunately only a relatively brief look as it
flew across the bow and into the distance, was a GREAT SKUA!! I had just
recently been on a pelagic trip out of Cape Hatteras, NC, where I had great
looks at Pomarine and Parasitic Jaegers and we are certain this was not one of
them. The huge body looked like a barrel hanging below the wings, and the
streaking was opposite what would be on a jaeger. No chance for pictures.
When we slowed for whales (MINCKE and FIN) a floating log had many light
colored birds on it. I figured they were gulls (many GREAT BLACK-BACKED and a
few HERRING GULLS were out here) but they were a couple dozen Gannets. Great
looks at several plumages.
Now it became easy to see Greater Shearwaters and Storm-Petrels. I couldn't
turn any of the latter into Leach's, but there may have been a couple more
distant Manx Shearwaters, but could never be sure. At one point, we came upon
about 15 Greater Shearwaters floating on the water.
A smaller number of SOOTY SHEARWATERs flew by at greater distance than the
Greaters.
Other birds seen on the trip were COMMON LOONs and COMMON EIDERs, COMMON
TERNs, DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTs and in Rye Harbor, BONAPARTE'S GULLs.
 
I must say that while you can get more species on a North Carolina pelagic, I
saw more individuals on this trip off NH. I envy the people going on on
dedicated pelagic birding trips!! Maybe I'll plan a vacation where I can be up
there for one next time.
 

June 14   Cape Cod seabirds - 6/14
From: Blair Nikula <odenews(AT)odenews.org>


I made another early morning run to Truro and P'town to look for
seabirds.  I didn't find the masses of shearwaters, but a close
puffin at Race Point made the trip worthwhile.

Head of the Meadow Beach, Truro (0540 - 0555):
2 Wilson's Storm-Petrels
10 Greater Shearwaters
5 Sooty Shearwaters
80 large shearwater sp.
400 N. Gannets (15+ ad.)

Race Point parking lot (0610 - 0635):
4 Wilson's Storm-Petrels
4 Greater Shearwaters
4 Sooty Shearwaters
8 Manx Shearwaters
280 N. Gannets (35 ad.)
20 Laughing Gulls
20 Common Terns
1 ATLANTIC PUFFIN (close, flying east; my first June record)

Lecounts Hollow Beach, Wellfleet (0705 - 0715):
80 N. Gannets (5 ad.)
8 Laughing Gulls

The number of adult gannets is very peculiar for this season, and a
notable increase from earlier in the week.  All of the shearwaters in
Truro were flying north (i.e., toward P'town), but all the
shearwaters in P'town were heading southeast (i.e., toward Truro) - go figure!

Yesterday, Carl Goodrich had a large movement of shearwaters passing
south off Head of the Meadow Beach from about 10:00 a.m. and
noon.  They were passing at a rate of up to 30 birds/minute, and he
estimated they were about 2/3rds Greater and 1/3rd Sooty.

Blair

2 Gilbert Lane
Harwich Port, MA 02646
USA
mailto:odenews(AT)odenews.org
web site: http://www.odenews.org/
 

Subject: Seabird & Whale Tales summary from Krill
From: Carol Carson <krillcarson(AT)mac.com>
Date: 14 Jun 2007 12:10am


On Sunday, June 10th, passengers from MA, RI, NY, NH and CT joined the
New England Coastal Wildlife Alliance (NECWA) for an all day pelagic
trip aboard the Tails of the Sea, a luxury commercial whale watching
vessel owned and operated by Captain John Boats.  On the mic were
seabird experts Wayne Petersen and David Clapp from Mass Audubon and
whale scientist Dr. John Jahoda from Bridgewater State College.

Once we cleared Plymouth Harbor, we headed east across Cape Cod Bay on
our way to Race Point.  From the Race, we traveled down the backside of
the Cape towards the BC buoy located 15 miles east of Chatham.  Many
seabirds and whales were sighted as we continued south towards Chatham.
  Just as we approached the BC buoy, fog rolled in reducing our sighting
ability and making it impossible for us to locate the large
concentration of wildlife that had been observed in that area just a
few days prior.  So, we decided to head back up the shipping channel
towards the BE buoy located on the west side of Stellwagen Bank.  After
a few hours on marine wildlife viewing on the bank, we returned to
Plymouth around 6 pm.

Sea conditions were a bit rough off Chatham due to increasing northeast
winds. However, by midday things quieted down a bit and the ride back
was fairly smooth.

Highlights of the trip included an exceptional number of fulmars,
especially for the late date.  When we stopped to chum, we were
surprised to have 35 fulmars sitting on the water behind the boat.  We
also had close views of Crystal breaching next to the boat.  Crystal is
a male humpback whale born to Salt in 1980.  Near the end of the trip,
Roswell and her first known calf came over to the boat and stayed with
us for quite some time.

Concentrations of birds were found off Truro (feeding gannets, gulls,
and some shearwaters), east of Chatham (large numbers of Sooty
Shearwaters, Fulmars, and Wilson's Storm-Petrels), and on the
southwestern edge of Stellwagen Bank (lots of gannets, modest numbers
of shearwaters and storm-petrels).

Totals (not including Plymouth Harbor or Cape Cod Bay) were

SEABIRDS
Red throated Loon  1
Common Loon  3
Northern Fulmar  125
Greater Shearwater  450
Sooty Shearwater  1500
Manx Shearwater  3
Wilson's Storm-Petrel  4000
Leachs Storm-Petrel  2
Northern Gannet  500
Pomarine Jaeger  1
Lesser Black backed Gull  1
Black legged Kittiwake  2
Unidentified large alcid  2

MARINE MAMMALS
Humpback Whales 18 (including W, Crystal, Salt, Photon & calf, Roswell
& calf, Lavalier & calf)
Finback Whales 9 (including Loon)
Minke Whales 6
Gray Seal 1

I would like to thank Wayne Petersen and Blair Nikula for providing the
seabird information contained in this sighting list.  I would also like
to thank Joanne Jarzobski (Center for Coastal Studies) and Jenn
Tackaberry (Whale Center of New England) for providing the humpback
whale identifications.

If you are interested in contributing one or two images to NECWA's
slide show that will soon be posted on our website, then please send to
Krill at krillcarson(AT)mac.com.
We would love to include your best wildlife or people shot taken during
this trip.  Also, NECWA would love to hear back from their SAWT
passengers. so send any comments or suggestions to Krill who will then
distribute to the group.

Don't forget, our next Seabird & Whale Tales excursion is scheduled for
Sunday, September 9th.  Check the NECWA website in a week or so for the
new registration form.

Best to all, Krill Carson

Biologist and President
New England Coastal Wildlife Alliance
www.necwa.org
 

WEDNESDAY, 13 JUNE 2007:
Weather: Overcast, NE 15-30 mph, 55-58 F.
Richard S. Heil

I conducted two brief seawatches on CAPE ANN today:

EAST GLOUCESTER: near Brace Cove (1245-1305 hrs.)
Greater Shearwater (40)
Sooty Shearwater (2)
Manx Shearwater (2)
Wilson's Storm-Petrel (25)
'KUMLIEN'S' GULL (1-1S)-roosting.

ANDREW'S POINT, ROCKPORT (1715-1800 hrs.)
Greater Shearwater (2)
Sooty Shearwater (1)
Manx Shearwater (9)
Northern Gannet (69 sub-ads.)
Laughing Gull (2-1S)
RAZORBILL (3-breeding plumage): Flew past together; First June record!

   Also in East Gloucester, a TENNESSEE WARBLER was singing vigorously
almost all day.

Richard S. Heil
S. Peabody, MA
rsheil(AT)juno.com

Subject: Isles of Shoals
From: "Dan Hayward" <d_hayward(AT)yahoo.com>
Date: 13 Jun 2007 9:10am

This morning we have had 1 common murre and 1 Atlantic puffin just to the
west of White Island and dozens of young northern gannets riding the wind
all around the islands.

 

Dan Hayward

TUESDAY, 12 JUNE 2007:
OUTER CAPE COD: Provincetown to Chatham (0715-1830 hrs.)
Weather: Overcast, a few sprinkles, NNE 10-25 mph, 58-62 F; seas 4-6 feet,
visibility generally good.
Richard S. Heil, Bob Heil

   We spent most of the day concentrating on seabirds and found large
numbers of gannets and shearwaters at every stop along the entire east side
of Cape Cod, much like has been previously reported by participants on the
recent pelagic boat trip and by Simon Perkins from Truro this past weekend.
We encountered the greatest concentrations of shearwaters from Marconi Beach
in Wellfleet south to South Beach in Chatham (viewed from Morris I.).  The
majority of the gannets were off Provincetown, Truro and Wellfleet.  The
best show of the day was at Coast Guard Beach in Nauset (Eastham) where in
early afternoon shearwaters were streaming north very close to shore for a
time at a rate of fifty or more per minute.  Farther south in Chatham later
in the afternoon there was not much directional movement but rather many
active feeding assemblages just off the beaches.

Selective list:

Common Eider (105): Incl. 65 in Chatham.
Surf Scoter: (1)-P'town, (1)-Truro.
White-winged Scoter (9)
Red-breasted Merganser (3)-P'town.
Northern Bobwhite (2)-Chatham.
Red-throated Loon (5): All flying south, two in breeding plumage.
Common Loon (13)
Northern Fulmar (2-light morph): 1-Truro, 1-Wellfleet.
Greater Shearwater (2400+): Many in heavy wing molt.
Sooty Shearwater (1700+)
Manx Shearwater (31)
Wilson's Storm-Petrel (25+)
Northern Gannet (3900+): Nearly all sub-adults.
American Oystercatcher (33): 4-Eastham, 29-Chatham.
Greater Yellowlegs (7)-Eastham.
Laughing Gull (500+): Largets numbers Chatham.
Bonaparte's Gull: (6-1S)-P'town, (1-1S)-Wellfleet.
Lesser Black-backed Gull (1-1S)-Goast Guard Beach, Eastham.
Black-legged Kittiwake (9-1S) Truro to Eastham.
Least Tern (150+): Most Eastham (Coast Guard) and Chatham (Tern I.).
Common Tern (3600+): Most Chatham.
Parasitic Jaeger (4): 1 sub-ad-Truro, 1 sub-ad.-Eastham, 2 (1 "ad", 1
dark)-together Chatham.

Richard Heil
S. Peabody, MA
rsheil(AT)juno.com
 

June 10

Subject: Plymouth to Chatham pelagic trip results - Sunday, 6/10
From: Wayne Petersen
Date: 11 June, 2007

An all-day pelagic trip out of Plymouth on Sunday to the waters east
of Cape Cod and south to Chatham encountered large numbers of seabirds and
whales.
Among the species tallied was a Red-throated Loon, 3 Common Loons,
125 Northern Fulmars, 450 Greater Shearwaters, 1500 Sooty Shearwaters, 3
Manx Shearwaters, 4000 Wilson's Storm-Petrels, 2 Leach's Storm-Petrels,
500 Northern Gannets, a Pomarine Jaeger, a Lesser Black-backed Gull, 2
Black-legged Kittiwakes, and 2 large unidentified alcids. 

Also seen were 14+ Humpback Whales, 8 Fin Whales, and 6 Minke Whales. 

Many of the seabirds were within a mile of the headlands off Truro.  The numbers of
Northern Fulmars were quite exceptional so close to shore at this date.

Wayne R. Petersen, Director
Massachusetts Important Bird Areas (IBA) Program
Mass Audubon
208 South Great Road
Lincoln, MA 01773
Protecting the Nature of Massachusetts
 

Subject: Plymouth pelagic - 6/10
From: Blair Nikula <odenews(AT)odenews.org>
Date: 11 Jun 2007 8:59pm

Since no one else has, I'll report on the pelagic trip out of
Plymouth yesterday.  We traveled from Plymouth down the backside of
the Cape to Chatham (to the BC buoy about 15 miles east of Chatham),
then back to the western edge of Stellwagen Bank (BE buoy) for the
last couple of hours, returning to Plymouth a bit after 6:00
p.m.  The weather was mostly sunny, except off Chatham where there
was light fog (though for the most part not thick enough to interfere
with birding).  The winds picked up a bit out of the northeast during
the morning, making for a rather rough ride down the backside, but by
midday things quieted down a bit and the ride back was fairly smooth.

The highlight of the trip was an exceptional number of fulmars,
especially for the late date.  Concentrations of birds were off Truro
(feeding gannets, gulls, and some shearwaters), east of Chatham
(large numbers of Sooty Shearwaters, fulmars, and Wilson's
Storm-Petrels), and on the southwestern edge of Stellwagen Bank (lots
of gannets, modest numbers of shearwaters and storm-petrels).  Totals
(not including Plymouth Harbor or Cape Cod Bay) were:

3 Common Loons
1 Red-throated Loon
450 Greater Shearwaters (mostly from Wellfleet north; curiously, far
fewer than Simon Perkins saw while scoping from land earlier in the morning)
1500 Sooty Shearwaters (90% off Chatham; most heading north)
3 Manx Shearwaters
125(!) NORTHERN FULMARS ( mostly off Chatham, but also 2-3 on
Stellwagen; only 2 dark birds; at one point while we were chumming
there were 35 sitting on the water behind the boat)
4000 Wilson's Storm-Petrels (mostly off Chatham, where they carpeted
the surface in places; also a hundred or so on Stellwagen)
2 Leach's Storm-Petrels
500 N. Gannets (almost all from Wellfleet north)
1 Pomarine Jaeger (very dark immature at point blank range off Chatham)
1 Lesser Black-backed Gull (1S)
2 Black-legged Kittiwakes (1S)
2 large alcid sp.  (breeding plumage, flying east off Truro; not seen
well, but suggestive of Common Murres)

I don't have the "official" whale numbers, but there 18(?) Humpbacks,
several Fins, and at least a couple of Minkes.  Most of the whales
were on Stellwagen.  It's shaping up to be another good summer for
seabirds and whales!

Blair Nikula

2 Gilbert Lane
Harwich Port, MA 02646
USA
mailto:odenews(AT)odenews.org
web site: http://www.odenews.org/

Subject: Atlantic Puffin in Hampton!
From: Steve Mirick <smirick(AT)comcast.net>
Date: 10 Jun 2007 7:31pm

After conducting the Dover, NH Breeding Bird Survey this morning
(details in separate e-mail), Jane and I covered the coast this
afternoon.  Nicer weather as compared to yesterday produced better
visibility and more beach goers.  We were rewarded with a decent showing
of "sea ducks" for the date and my first shore-based and first summer
record of Atlantic Puffin in NH!

donald_green(AT)mac.com 06/08/2007 9:01 AM >>>
I report this because of the proximity of the exceptionally
showy 
and rare visit of a Red-billed Tropic Bird to our bird-viewing area.
On June 7th,  Peter Vickery led a scheduled  Maine Audubon boat trip 
to  eastern Egg Rock and on to Matinicus Rock.  It was an all day 
trip leaving from New Harbor aboard the Hardy III captained by Al 
Hardy.  On board from New Hampshire were Denny Abbott, Davis Finch, 
and Don Green and about thirty-six trippers.  The trip objective was 
to view nesting terns and alcids.  However, the highlight of this 
trip was a Red-billed Tropic Bird that gave almost continuous views 
of titself as the boat circled the island several times.   A Red-
billed Tropic Bird was present last year and in all probability this 
is the same bird. Terns were common, roseate and arctic (almost all 
at Matinicus were arctic); alcids were puffins,  black guillimot, 
common murre and razorbills. The viewing and travel conditions could 
not have been better.  Wouldn't it be wonderful in NH Audubon 
sponsored a trip to Matinicus in the near future!  Don Green

Subject: Black Guillmeot & Common Eiders
From: Stephen Mirick <smirick(AT)comcast.net>
Date: 4 Jun 2007 10:55am

A couple of omissions from yesterday's post:

BLACK GUILLEMOT - 1 adult in breeding plumage flew past us rather close
to shore while scanning offshore from Odiorne Point.
Common Eider - 7 chicks from Pulpit Rocks with 3 females.  Still (as far
as I know), this species has yet to be discovered nesting along the NH
seacoast (only out on the Isles of Shoals).  I searched a promising
stretch of rosa rugosa south of Concord Point last week, but no luck.

Steve Mirick
Bradford, MA